Jimmy Savile

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News about Jimmy Savile, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

May. 22, 2015

British police attribute unprecedented surge in reports of sexual abuse to changing attitudes after revelations that once-beloved TV personality Jimmy Savile victimized dozens of minors for decades prior to his death in 2011. MORE

Feb. 27, 2015

Report finds that British television host Jimmy Savile had freewheeling access in hospital where he sexually abused more than 60 patients over two decades. MORE

Jun. 3, 2014

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children says British television presenter Jimmy Savile was a far more prolific sex offender than previously suspected, citing at least 500 reports of abuse involving children as young as 2. MORE

May. 31, 2013

British Broadcasting Corporation says it has received 152 new accusations of sexual abuse and harassment by 81 current and former employees since the case involving television personality Jimmy Savile came to light in October 2012. MORE

May. 11, 2013

Report by West Yorkshire police in Britain covers 68 of hundreds of sexual abuse allegations that have surfaced against former BBC television presenter Jimmy Savile. MORE

Mar. 13, 2013

Police oversight agency issues report showing that police failures over five years allowed British television personality Jimmy Savile to escape investigation for lifetime of sex offenses dating to early 1960s. MORE

Feb. 23, 2013

BBC releases some 3,000 pages of internal documents from external investigation into why program about BBC presenter and alleged pedophile Jimmy Saville had been canceled; they paint picture of top-heavy organization weighed down by mistrust, poor communication, buck-passing and squabbling. MORE

Jan. 12, 2013

Report by Scotland Yard and Britain’s leading child welfare group draws horrific picture of more than 200 cases of sexual abuse of victims as young as 8 by late BBC host Jimmy Savile; prosecutors admit for first time that 'shortcomings' in interviewing some victims allowed Savile to escape prosecution before his death at age of 84 in 2011. MORE

Dec. 20, 2012

Exhaustive report by Nick Pollard, veteran British broadcast executive, finds that lax leadership left British Broadcasting Corporation incapable of dealing with sexual abuse crisis that has shaken network; report strongly criticizes editorial and management decisions that prompted BBC to cancel broadcast that would have exposed decades of sexual abuse by television personality Jimmy Savile; report also does not challenge assertions made by Mark Thompson, then head of BBC, that he had no role in quieting the Savile investigation. MORE

Dec. 7, 2012

Max Clifford, multimillionaire star publicist, is arrested in London by police officers investigating sexual offenses; Clifford is fifth person to be arrested in inquiry set up in wake of allegations of sexual abuse by BBC host Jimmy Savile. MORE

Nov. 24, 2012

Mark Thompson, now president and chief executive of The New York Times Company, testifies in closed-door inquiry investigating why, during Thompson's tenure as director general, British Broadcasting Corporation canceled a contentious report into sexual abuse allegations against its former television host Jimmy Savile. MORE

Nov. 16, 2012

Letter sent by lawyers for former BBC general director Mark Thompson raises questions about his assertions that he learned of accusations of sexual abuse against network's longtime host Jimmy Savile only after leaving his job there; letter, sent 10 days before Thompson left BBC, details allegations against Savile and threatens to sue Sunday Times in London over forthcoming article accusing Thompson of killing investigation into Savile. MORE

Nov. 14, 2012

British Broadcasting Corp says it will begin disciplinary action against unidentified news personnel linked to scandal over child abuse report that wrongly implicated Conservative Party treasurer Alistair McAlpine; action comes three weeks after network became embroiled in separate abuse scandal involving television host Jimmy Savile. MORE

Nov. 12, 2012

BBC Trust chairman Chris Patten says the broadcasting organization is in 'ghastly mess' after its bungled coverage of decades-old sexual abuse scandal involving late television host Jimmy Savile, and requires fundamental shake-up. MORE

Nov. 11, 2012

Deborah Cogger, British woman who says BBC television host Jimmy Savile molested her in 1970s when she was at Duncroft Approved School for Girls in Surrey, England, says sexual abuse was widespread but ignored by everyone in power, and girls who complained were punished; Cogger is one of at least six former students who have come forward with accusations against Savile, who was a benefactor of school. MORE

Nov. 10, 2012

Alistair McAlpine, former official of Britain's Conservative Party, says his name was falsely made public in an inquiry into child sexual abuse involving former BBC host Jimmy Savile; McAlpine pledges to take legal action to clear his name. MORE

Nov. 5, 2012

Interviews with former BBC officials suggest that former director general Mark Thompson and his top executives repeatedly missed opportunities to pursue fuller picture of BBC’s investigation into decades-old accusations of child sexual abuse against longtime host Jimmy Savile; events have forced Thompson's new boss, New York Times publisher and chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr, to defend him even before he starts work as president and chief executive. MORE

Nov. 2, 2012

British bank NatWest says it has frozen estate of disgraced television host Jimmy Savile because of possible claims for damages arising from accusations of sexual abuse. MORE

Nov. 2, 2012

British authorities say two-year investigation into pedophile allegations against television host Jimmy Savile were dropped because separate police forces were unable to connect strands of evidence; also say prosecutors were hesitant to confront a man who had spent decades building a cult of celebrity in Britain that few could match. MORE

Nov. 2, 2012

Op-Ed article by author James Meek contends that at heart of BBC scandal involving former TV personality Jimmy Savile, is idea that one is not doing anything wrong as long as no one finds out; contends this idea seems to be recurring with dismal frequency in British public life. MORE

Oct. 30, 2012

Dame Janet Smith, retired state appeals judge in Britain, begins examination of the 'culture and practices' that lay behind the sexual abuse furor surrounding television host Jimmy Savile and the BBC; seeks to discover whether institutional failures allowed Savile's abuse to continue unchecked for decades. MORE

Oct. 30, 2012

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column examines what sex abuse scandal and cover up at BBC says about Mark Thompson, departing director general of BBC and incoming chief executive for The New York Times; expresses hope that publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr's unreserved faith in Thompson is warranted. MORE

Oct. 29, 2012

Sex abuse scandal surrounding late television host Jimmy Savile widens after British police arrest former pop star Paul Gadd, better known as Gary Glitter from the 1970s heyday of glam rock, in connection with case; arrest of Gadd, who is a convicted pedophile, follows accusations that he abused a teenage girl on premises of the BBC. MORE

Oct. 27, 2012

Child sexual abuse accusations mount against late BBC host Jimmy Savile, with attention turning to clues that his alleged misconduct was overlooked while he was alive. MORE

Oct. 26, 2012

Scandal at BBC expands from its focus on alleged sexual abuse by television host Jimmy Savile to questions about other parts of institution; investigators are looking at people who might have assisted Savile, helped organize abuse, helped to cover it up or took part in assaults themselves. MORE

Oct. 25, 2012

Actions of former BBC director general Mark Thompson are coming under increased scrutiny as investigation into handling of Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal continues. MORE

Oct. 25, 2012

British Prime Min David Cameron and his Conservative-led government clash openly with hierarchy of BBC over sexual abuse allegations against television host Jimmy Savile; government issues unprecedented public warning that its patience is wearing thin in wake of broadcaster’s shaky explanations as to why no action was taken. MORE

Oct. 24, 2012

George Entwistle, director general of BBC, takes witness stand as inquiries into pedophilia allegations against former television host Jimmy Savile open before parliamentary panel; Entwistle, accused of willful blindness in matter, acknowledges the damage revelations have done to BBC but claims he was ignorant of suspicions against Savile. MORE

Oct. 24, 2012

Mark Thompson, former head of British Broadcasting Corporation, says he was not aware of investigative report prepared for BBC program Newsnight into allegations of sexual abuse against former television personality Jimmy Savile until after investigation was canceled. MORE

Oct. 23, 2012

British Broadcasting Corporation airs highly self-critical examination of its mishandling and possible cover-up of sexual abuse allegations against high-profile television personality Jimmy Savile, who is accused of victimizing some 200 young girls. MORE

Oct. 20, 2012

British police say allegations of sexual abuse leveled against late BBC host Jimmy Savile are unprecedented, growing to more than 400 leads and at least 200 potential victims. MORE

Oct. 18, 2012

Decision by BBC program Newsnight to cancel segment looking into sexual abuse accusation against former host Jimmy Savile is now subject of three independent investigations. MORE

Oct. 14, 2012

British Broadcasting Corporation's cancellation of news segment about allegations of sexual abuse against television personality Jimmy Savile has lead to scandal at the corporation, which failed to investigate rumors or take seriously accusations about his behavior, as well as an examination into its practices. MORE

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The television presenter Jimmy Savile was a far more prolific sex offender than previously suspected, a charity said Monday, citing at least 500 reports of abuse involving children as young as 2 and victims in a high-security psychiatric hospital.